Game of Thrones Star Hannah Waddingham Opens Up About Challenging Waterboarding Scene

Hannah Waddingham, known for her role in Game of Thrones, recently shared the difficulties she faced while filming one of her most intense scenes.

In Season 6, her character Unella was originally meant to be raped by The Mountain.

However, due to the backlash surrounding the portrayal of rape in the show, the storyline was changed at the last minute.

During an appearance on Collider Ladies Night, Waddingham revealed that instead of the planned rape scene, her character was subjected to waterboarding.

She described her surprise when she received a wetsuit top for the scene, realizing the change in direction.

Waddingham then found herself strapped to a wooden table with large restraints for a grueling 10 hours.

The actress candidly expressed that the experience was one of the worst days of her life, second only to childbirth.

HBO has not yet commented on Waddingham's revelation.

Waddingham also shared that Lena Headey, her former co-star, felt uncomfortable pouring liquid onto her face for an extended period of time during the scene.

Waddingham herself admitted to being overwhelmed by the situation.

She pondered whether to continue with the scene, considering the commitment to the production, or to back out due to personal discomfort.

After the challenging day of shooting, Waddingham encountered director Miguel Sapochnik, who casually greeted her with a cup of tea and a sandwich.

Sapochnik remarked that the crew had been jokingly referring to the waterboarding as real.

Waddingham sarcastically responded that she was well aware of the reality of the situation.

Reflecting on the incident, Waddingham recalled encountering her co-star Eugene Simon, who portrayed Lancel Lannister.

Simon had just finished filming scenes where he crawled through unpleasant environments for four days.

The two actors exchanged stories, joking that one hasn't truly experienced Game of Thrones unless they've been thoroughly battered.

In 2016, Headey expressed to Entertainment Weekly that the waterboarding scene was the “tame version” compared to the original rape storyline.

She humorously added that she would prefer being exploded in the Sept over enduring the waterboarding.

Waddingham played Unella, a Septa of the Faith of the Seven, during the fifth and sixth seasons of Game of Thrones.

Since her time on the popular HBO series, Waddingham has secured various roles in television shows like s** Education and Krypton, as well as films such as The Hustle.

Currently, Waddingham stars as Rebecca Welton alongside Jason Sudeikis in the critically acclaimed series Ted Lasso.

Her performance earned her a Critics Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

The second season of Ted Lasso is set to premiere on July 23, and the show was also nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award earlier this year for their exceptional ensemble performance in a comedy series.